The 31-year-old re-signed for the Santiago Bernabeu outfit from Sevilla in January to act as Iker Casillas' deputy, with the club captain having broken his hand.

"Every minute that I play with Real Madrid is a gift from heaven for me," he told reporters at a press conference.

"None of us think that a league match wearing this crest is a bother. We have to build up our confidence. The most important thing right now is Rayo. We have to play well to win."

The 31-year-old went on to say that his side are targeting progress in both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, despite recording 1-1 draws in the home legs of the ties against Barcelona and Manchester United.

"You analyse it objectively later on and you realise that it’s not such a bad result, that the play-off is completely open, just like with Barcelona [in the Copa del Rey].

"We have a good chance, a challenge for everyone and it would be fantastic to prove that we’re able to win. We’re feeling really confident and very optimistic.

"Our goal is to get to the Copa final and the quarter-finals of the Champions League."